“Any reader who enjoys historical fiction, romance, war stories, and stories with action and adventure, should definitely give Lazlo's Revenge a read. I am pleased to be able to recommend this book to any such reader. I am also looking forward to reading more from the promising author, Glen Hierlmeier, as soon as I possibly can!”

Glen Thomas Hierlmeier’s latest historical romance novel, Lazlo’s Revenge, is the story of one woman’s adventure throughout Europe to uncover her parents’ pasts. Stories of romance, war, and traumas both physical and emotional are unearthed as she traces their footsteps back to the major sites of World Wars I and II.

Lazlo’s Revenge follows Maxine “Max” Fischer, a writer and Swiss war correspondent, whose parents (Hank and Roberta Fischer, the main characters from Hierlmeier’s previous book, Honor and Innocence) lived through the tragedies of the Great World Wars.

Max sets out on an adventure throughout Europe to uncover her parents’ pasts and see the very places where they survived on their odyssey to escape danger and death. Stories of romance, war, and traumas are unearthed as she traces their footsteps back to the major sites of World Wars I and II.

During her journey, Max becomes fascinated by the people who influenced her parents' lives. She follows the life and times of Lazlo Floznik, the man who saved her parents and helped them escape catastrophe in Europe by seeking out refuge beyond the reach of the security forces that sought to imprison them. The years leading up to World War I, the time between the wars, and the experiences of World War II reveal their secrets as Max explores her family roots, in this deeply emotional story tied together by Lazlo’s intense story of love, and that of his father, Miklos, before him.

Ravi Subramanian is one of the few Indian authors whom I love reading. Almost all his published works till date have been fast paced banking thrillers. 'The Best Seller She Wrote' is his first attempt at romantic intrigue and after finishing this book in just one sitting,I can confidently say that his attempt change over diversion is only moderately successful.The book has it's moments for sure but it has it's own share of flaws as well.

Aditya Kapoor is the king of mass market paperbacks.His career as a banking professional is equally successful.His wife is the georgeous,superbly talented,IIM educated Maya who is into social work.Kapoor chances upon Shreya Kaushik during one of his usual interactive sessions with the college students and what starts off as a bitter relationship soon transforms into fanship and eventually(and quite expectedly) to love.

Coming to the positives,the language used is quite simple and conversational.There are enough twists and turns happening at regular intervals making the readers hooked to the proceedings.Though at the heart of it, the book is nothing but a typical bollywoodish cliched triangular love tale, it's the setting and the intelligent execution by Ravi which makes this work an okay read. Ravi Subramanian has tried to touch upon (albeit topically) some of the unethical practices prevailing in the Indian publishing Industry. Aditya Kapoor's character(the IIM trained 'rockstar banker-turned-author', guess who!) is quite well written and the reader can feel the pain and tension which he was going through.There aren't too many unnecessary supporting characters(this book review is sounding more like a movie review,I know,but then,this novel is also more like the screenplay of a Bollywood blockbuster!) but the few which are there are pivotal in taking the story forward.The tale feels semi-autobiographical at times.There are references to real-life authors(Ashwin Sanghi,James patterson,Wendy Doniger and Ravi Subramanian himself) and personalities(Nita Ambani,Nirav Sanghavi of blogadda) incidents.

On the downside,the book suffers from pacing issues at times. At 390+ pages,'The best seller...' is quite lengthy and somewhere towards the middle,it drags a bit. Another issue which I have with this work is regarding the 'sex scenes'. The sex scenes are quite graphic and badly written.As one of the characters in this book herself says,Sex scenes if badly written are a big turn off.The book cover also is not that much appealing and only managed to give a mushy feel to it.The character of Shreya is a bit confusing.You never get to know whether she was actually in love with Aditya or was it only her ulterior motive which drove her into the tumultuous relationship with Kapoor.There aren't too many unnecessary supporting characters(this book review is sounding more like a movie review,I know,but then,this novel is also more like the screenplay of a Bollywood blockbuster!) but the few which are there are pivotal in taking the story forward.The romance(Aditya-Shreya) is half baked and apart from the poorly written sex scenes there is nothing much which depicts the intensity of Aditya's liking/love towards Shreya.
Originally posted in http://nikhimenon.blogspot.in/2015/12/book-reviewthe-best-seller-she-wrote-by.html

Ruchita Misra’s ‘I Do! Do I?’ is her follow up to her ‘The Ineligible Bachelors’ which apparently became a ‘National Best-Seller’ .The In-eligible Bachelors was an okay work and though it pretended itself to be a satirical take on Indian Marriages, the book was nothing but pure-unadulterated desi chick-lit. ‘I Do! Do I? is kind of a sequel to ‘TIB’ and traces the events happening in Kasturi Shukla’s life after her marriage has been fixed with Dr Purva Dixit. To give credit where it’s due, I sort of enjoyed the first 170+ pages or so (of this 300+ page book), but after that, the book started getting repetitive with the jokes falling flat, the female protagonist behaving more and more stupid and nothing much really happening in the story line.The climax chase and the supposedly hilarious finale is nothing new and is only what we have seen in a dozen rom-com Bollywood flicks.Ruchita’s writing is plain,with a few hilarious one-liners here and there and the book is clearly aimed at those urban readers who just want to read a generic light,desi chick-lit.I’m giving it a 2.5 out of 5. It’s not as boring as ‘One Indian Girl’, but not that great either.
Originally posted in http://nikhimenon.blogspot.in/2016/11/ultra-short-reviewi-do-do-i.html

This is definitely one of the humorous narrations from chetan. This book is very lucidly written and there is no fancy things used in the book. I started reading the book every night before going to bed and this book never failed to make me laugh out loud. The narration is gripping and would preempt the reader to continue reading it further.
You can certainly give it a try if you want but you won't be missing anything great if you decide to give it a miss.

Nice one to read. Story has been portrayed in very decent way. Chethan Bagath got everyone's attention in this book through his extraordinary writing. Simply good.

Vance Palmer's first novel, The Passage, makes part of the series of novels that have set the trend to the 20th century Australian fiction and is as such an emblematic book. It is essentially a family saga canvassing the fortunes of a single generation, but the narrative technique used to develop the plot transcends the requirements of the genre by introducing literary practices and psychological insights espoused by the followers of modernism in Europe and America between the two World Wars.
The novel champions individuality while celebrating, at the same time, family ties and community cohesion. It makes philosophical and aesthetic statements that challenge some of the fundamental values held dear by industrial societies. Those statements are delegated to the three protagonists - the two brothers, one introverted and the other extraverted, and to their mother, with the other characters completing the picture.
Like all of Palmer's novels, The Passage is set in a small community, this time in a fishermen's village, and it focuses on the interdependence of people and their environment. The character, who by his natural disposition has accomplished the fullest harmony with the rural landscape, has the greatest spiritual and physical strength. It is in the opening scene of the novel, a typical stream-of-consciousness situation, that the impact the sea and the land have on Lew's mind is outlined, laying down stylistic principles of the author's expression.
The Passage is neither a horror nor a mystery. It remains a modern novel because its structure and its style reflect the complex mental processes of individuation going on in human beings and because it points a way out for anxieties imposed on wo/man by his/her dissociation from the actual environment.
Its chief source of plausibility is its vision of happiness couched in a non-naturalistic form.

It was written very well and I liked how this explained about feminism.

Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for his bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts, set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories.
The novel ‘Angels and Demons’ discusses the conflict between religion and science which is continuing for centuries. Brown in his usual twenty four hour narrative filled with suspense, twists and turns, and an ever enthralling plot takes the readers on a journey through Rome and Vatican. Dan Brown provides a vivid description of the Vatican churches, the conclave; St. Peter’s Basilica and acquaints the readers with the customs and tradition of the Vatican. Moreover, CERN and the scientists there arouse the curiosity of man in matter and antimatter.

The American symbologist and cryptologist, the Harvard fellow, Robert Langdon is the protagonist. He is called on in the middle of the night by the director of CERN, Maximilan Kohler, to come over to the CERN immediately. Langdon reaches Switzerland in an extraordinarily fast aircraft. At CERN Langdon is faced with the dead body of a senior scientist at CERN, Leonardo Vetra, with a brand on his chest ‘Illuminati’ written in illuminati ambigram. Also they realize that one of the retinas of Vetra has been removed. From Kohler Langdon comes to know of the adopted daughter of Vetra, Vittoria Vetra, their secret lab and their experiments. Kohler also informs that the murder of Vetra has been kept a secret from fellow CERN scientists and the authorities.

Soon Vittoria who has been on a scientific venture arrives hearing the news of her father’s demise. On insistence of Kohler she shows them the secret laboratory protected accessible only by the father- daughter duo. Soon they are come to know of the antimatter, opposite of matter, which essentially is a great source of energy. Leonardo Vetra believed that this invention will definitely bridge the gap between religion and science. At this point Langdon is forced to believe that Vetra’s murder is very much related to their invention and he also anticipates the resurrection of the illuminati.
Vittoria is not prepared to accept this as she asserts that the only people who knew of the antimatter were she and her father. Soon to the horror of Vittoria it is realized that the specimen of anti-matter has been stolen. A call from the Vatican demanded the presence of a CERN representative there. Vittoria Vetra and Robert Langdon fly to Vatican. They are received by the Swiss- Guard. It is the day of conclave at Vatican and there is huge crowd of tourists and media at St. Peter’s Basilica square. Though antimatter is in Vatican its exact location in unidentifiable as the antimatter is immune to all possible weapon detectors, the advanced security system of the Vatican was unable to locate the antimatter.
A phone call to the chamberlain worsens the situation as the caller informs that the four missing cardinals, the prefereti, are with him, and they are soon to be murdered. Also he claims to have murdered the pope and Vittoria’s father Leonardo Vetra. Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra suspect it to be the illuminati and with the permission of chamberlain they enter the secret vaults of Vatican library. They find the clue to their puzzle in the ‘Digrammia’ by Galileo. The four pillars of illuminati cult are identified as earth, air, fire and water. In their venture they realize that Bernini is the master behind illuminati architecture. But in each of their attempts they miss the hassassin by a fraction.

In the meanwhile, a BBC reporter, Gunther Glick and his camerawoman Mecri also gets involved. Thereafter all the happenings are aired live. Towards the end of their quest, Vittoria is kidnapped by the Hassassin and taken to the church of illumination which is the St. Angelo’s church under the Vatican. the shortcut to Vatican, the Passetto is also traced.
At Vatican, Kohler has arrived and eventually the readers conclude that Kohler is the illuminati leader Janus. The chamberlain is branded with the illuminati diamond, and Kohler is shot dead. The trail for antimatter begins and the chamberlain soon has a heavenly revelation as to where the antimatter is. The chamberlain saves the Vatican and manages to escape the antimatter explosion whereupon he is believed to be representing the god on earth, but Robert Langdon goes missing.

In the meantime, Langdon in a hallucinated state of mind remembers how he had been abandoned by the chamberlain to be burnt to ashes with the antimatter. He by the decree of god reaches a hospital and recovers soon. He moves to St. Peter’s Basilica with the recorder and there unveils the truth behind all the happenings.

Finally, Mortati, the officer in charge of the conclave is made the Pope and the revelations of the eve are kept a secret between the cardinals, Langdon and Vittoria for the sake of the church. Langdon and Vittoria are happy that they are part of this quest and Vittoria is relieved to have found the murderer of her father.
Originally posted on http://bit.ly/2d91o3p

It is the story about a couple Krish and Ananya, coming from two different states in India, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, who face hardships in convincing their parents to approve of their marriage. A great book from Chetan Bhagat. After reading this book i became an extreme fan of Chetan. A very good story for all Indians who are in love with a girl of different community.The story is griping. All characters of the book rocks. Ananya and Krish's love story is mind blowing. Cool features and the most enjoyable part of the book is the sentences which Krish says to himself. Nice one. Read and enjoy.

Totally I enjoy this series, especially the forensics parts. Actually we need to read from the beginning. Patricia Cornwell builds her characters into people that you can have strong feelings for. Some good. Others not so . Overall, an easy read to purely entertain.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid' book is all about a kid called Greg who usually doesn't do the right thing the first time around. His cluelessness about what would keep him out of trouble and why parents, teachers, and friends are upset with him is part of the book's humor.This book was very good. I recommend this book to readers around 10 - 13 who enjoy reading as it is quite easy to read, but it has some challenging words as well.

The second novel by Khaled Hossieni, “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, was released in 2007. The novel narrates the miserable lives of two Afghan women who come together as though destined. The title of the book comes from a line in the Josephine Davis translation of the poem "Kabul", by the 17th-century Iranian poet Siab-e-Tabrizi:

Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye
Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.

The two women in the novel are Mariam and Laila, around whom the four parts of the novel revolves. Mariam is the daughter of Jalil and Nana. Being the illegitimate daughter of the reputed businessman, Jalil, Mariam lives in a kolba in Herat with her mother, who used to be the servant at Jalil’s. but Jalil intensely loves Mariam and often visits her though Nana disapproves of these visits. One day Jalil fails to keep the promise of taking Mariam for outing and she eventually lands up at his house. Mariam’s missing greatly hurts her mother and she hangs herself. Jalil has a large family with three wives and children. So he marries away the fifteen year old Mariam to a shoemaker from Kabul, Rasheed , thirty years older to her. Though initially Rasheed is portrayed as a loving husband, subsequently his true colours are revealed. He begins to torture Mariam and is much disturbed that they will not have any children. Hereon the tumultuous life of Mariam with Rashid unfolds.

Laila is a girl in the same neighbourhood who is fond of her friend Tariq, who is handicapped in an accident. Though deep, their friendship knows the boundaries set by the society. In the meantime war visits Afghanistan and Kabul is bombarded by rockets. Tariq and his family decide to leave Kabul and their emotional farewell leads to love making. Laila’s family also decides to leave the place, but her parents are killed in a rocket attack. Laila is deeply injured and is cared by Mariam. Rashid expresses his desire to marry Laila. Initially she opposes to the proposal, but on learning that Tariq is dead and she is carrying Tariq’s child, Laila agrees.

Mariam much annoyed by this develops hatred towards Laila. Rasheed is eager to have a child from his second, young and attractive wife. Laila gives birth to a girl, Aziza and Rasheed becomes suspicious of the child. Aziza soon becomes the link between Laila and Mariam. They both love her and care for her so does she reciprocates the love. Soon Laila and Mariam realize their interdependent existence and become best friends. They begin to develop the feeling that Rasheed is their common enemy.

Soon, Laila gives birth to a son of Rasheed, Zalmai, who epitomizes his father and keeps track of Laila and Mariam. One day a man comes to the house and the novel takes a different turn. With his entry into the novel, the lives of the characters begin to see bright colours. With the death of Rasheed they are both relieved from the tortures of the beast. Though Mariam is not destined to experience true happiness in life, Laila has a refreshingly new life ahead.
Originally posted on http://bit.ly/2d94qEx

‘The Kite Runner’ is the debut novel by Khaled Hossieni published in 2003. The novel is set in the backdrop of Afghanistan, tracing the political history of Afghanistan, the tumultuous events including the fall of monarchy, the Soviet invasion, the refugee flight and the Taliban regime. The Kite Runner narrates the story of two friends, Amir and Hassan, around whom the whole novel revolves. The first part of the novel narrates the story of their in-depth friendship in the backdrop of the monarchial regime in Afghanistan. The second part involves the Soviet invasion and migration into Pakistan and United States of America. The third part narrates the subsequent Taliban regime and the social situation in Afghanistan.

Amir who is from Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul befriends Hassan, a Hazara boy. Amir’s father Baba considers him to be very timid and is much fond of Hassan. Baba considers Hassan to be more masculine, and despite their friendship Amir develops a dislike towards Hassan. Hassan is the son of Ali, a polio affected man, and servant at Amir’s, and Sanaubar. Hassan is a great Kite Runner and Amir is all praise for Hassan’s skills. Amir is more into writing and sees himself as an author. He is greatly supported by Rahim Khan, a loyal friend of Baba and Amir’s mentor.

The antagonist of the novel is Assef, a teenager, Son of an Afghan father and a German mother, who disapproves Amir’s friendship with Hassan. One day Hassan is physically tortured by Assey in front of Amir but Amir does not react. This incident generates a gap in their friendship, and Amir’s guilt and fear develops into him playing tricks to get Hassan out of his place and he succeeds.

Subsequently, the Soviet invasion forces Amir and Baba to flee to Pakistan and thereon to America. They settle in California, Amir becomes a writer and marries Soraya, daughter of Afghan General Taheri and Khanum Jamila, whom he meets in America. Baba dies of cancer. In the meantime, Amir is called back by Rahim Khan and there the true identity of Hassan is revealed. Amir is then on a mission to save Hassan’s son Sohrab. Here the pathetic situation confronted by Afghanistan during the Taliban regime is highlighted. Also the antagonist, Assef re-emerges. The novel ends on a positive note when Amir unites with Sohrab and they live happily with Soraya. The other major characters in the novel are Farid, a Taxi Driver and Farzana, Hassan’s wife.

The novel throws light on the social and political milieu of Afghanistan. Through the story of friendship of two kids Hosseini has provided a beautiful and strong picture of Afghanistan. The novel has been received with mixed response by the western and eastern world. The work has been made into a movie by the same name.
Originally posted on http://bit.ly/2cWpBq7

This novel focuses on the love story of a Tamil girl, Ananya and an Punjabi boy, Krish, who were on love and trying to get married. And It follows the story line of any typical Bollywood movie, I wish I could say there were some dramatic deviations from this fact, but there wasn’t. However, the book was still a great read!
Prior to the couple’s decision to get married, The author offers the readers an in-depth look into the premarital relationship of the two, which caught me by surprise. Trust me, when I say that very few Bollywood movies would include the details Bhagat did when it comes to Ananya and Krish’s relationship. He executed it in a very tasteful and real way. The story went well and there was a good balance between their life before wanting to get married and their goals to make the seven rounds of the fire.
Chetan did a fantastic job of introducing the readers to both character’s families and in instances where both parties were present, This novel was very much about family and how important it is to get the family's approval before trying on something with a significant other. After reading this book, it is clear why our couples in India enjoy it so much. It also showing where our current generation stands in terms of relationships and love marriage :)

The book takes us through the scenes of an jungle atmosphere, describing every details of the flora and fauna. the story revolves around a Boy who escapes a ship wreck. The soother explains on soma things in the pages of the book. The boys experience with on the sea covers pages. Reading the book i travelled with the boy through the forests and sea journey. Enjoyed..

This book is really nice

Well really, I thought i was reading some Bollywood movie script. Nowhere near women's empowerment or anything. Nothing interested except last part, awfully disappointed. My rating is 1.5.I don't know why but i didn't get the old Chetan touch in the book. This book is not up to the mark comparing to previous one's. Story doesn't have a soul.Cheapest book ever I read.

Half Girl Friend is a story about Bihari Boy "Madhav" who don’t have much knowledge in English fell in love with a high class English-speaking rich Delhi girl "Riya" . Riya wanted to be a friend of him but Madhav wanted relationship with her. Finally she agreed to be his half girl friend. Due to certain things Riya left him and married her childhood friend Rohan. Later she got divorce and met Madhav surprisingly and helped him to get fun for runnin his school.Atlast she joined with him and got a son Shyam .Nice story .

The Man-Eater Of Malgudi is a story of a South Indian printer baptized Nataraj, who dwells in his ancestral house; in the fictitious hamlet, Malgudi. He enjoys his living with his bosom friend circle, such as a poet, a journalist and his employee, Shastri. Their lives are provoked by the astound and deliberate entry of an authoritarian taxidermist. They feel that their solitude and seclusion are sabotaged when Vasu, the taxidermist starts living with them by renting a roof on attic. And thus this give birth to a great story and many hilarious anecdotes.
The Man Eater Of Malgudi with 240 pages was published in 1961. I love reading R.K.Narayan’s efforts. Hilarity is maintained all along the book and the same will compel you leafing. But if someone ask me to vote for R.K. Narayan’s best two books, I’ll vote in favour of “The Bachelor Of Arts” and “Swami And Friends”. If you want to read Narayan, I’ll ask you to read these two books first